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Wikipedia

Interstate 40

Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States. At a length of 2,556.61 miles (4,114.46 km), it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to east, it passes through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Its western end is at I-15 in Barstow, California, while its eastern end is at a concurrency with U.S. Route 117 (US 117) and North Carolina Highway 132 (NC 132) in Wilmington, North Carolina. Major cities served by the interstate include Flagstaff, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville in Tennessee; and Asheville, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, and Wilmington in North Carolina.

Interstate 40

Route information
Length2,556.61 mi[1] (4,114.46 km)
ExistedAugust 14, 1957[2]–present
Major junctions
West end I-15 in Barstow, CA
Major intersections
East end US 117 in Wilmington, NC
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesCalifornia, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina
Highway system

I-40 begins in the Mojave Desert in California, and then proceeds through the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico. It then traverses the Great Plains through the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, and passes south of the Ozarks in Arkansas. The freeway crosses the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina, before terminating in the Atlantic Coastal Plain near the Atlantic Ocean.

Much of the western part of I-40, from Barstow to Oklahoma City, parallels or overlays the historic U.S. Route 66. East of Oklahoma City, the route generally parallels US 64 and US 70. I-40 was established by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and the numbering was subsequently approved on August 14, 1957, along with most of the rest of the system. The eastern terminus was initially planned to be located at I-85 in Greensboro, but the Federal Highway Administration later approved extending the route to its current eastern terminus in Wilmington. As a result, this was the last segment of I-40 to be completed upon its dedication in 1990.

Route description

Lengths
  mi[1] km
CA 154.61 248.82
AZ 359.48 578.53
NM 373.51 601.11
TX 177.10 285.01
OK 331.73 533.87
AR 284.69 458.16
TN 455.28 732.70
NC 420.21 676.26
Total 2,556.61 4,114.46

I-40 is the third-longest freeway in the United States, spanning 2,556.61 miles (4,114.46 km) across the southern half of the country. The longest stretch of the highway is in Tennessee, and the shortest is in California. The busiest stretch of I-40 is in Knoxville, concurrent with I-75, which has an annual average daily traffic volume of more than 210,000 vehicles.[3] The lowest traffic volumes are found on rural stretches in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, where the freeway carries fewer than 15,000 vehicles per day.[4][5][6]

California

 
A sign at the start of I-40 in Barstow, California, showing the distance to the freeway's eastern terminus in Wilmington, North Carolina. This sign has been stolen several times.

I-40 in California crosses through the lightly-populated western part of the Inland Empire region of the state. Its western end is in Barstow, California. Known as the Needles Freeway, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County to Needles, before it crosses into Arizona southwest of Kingman. I-40 covers 155 miles (249 km) in California. Some signs show the control city for I-40 westbound to be Los Angeles, where drivers would follow I-15 south from its western terminus in Barstow. The highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state.

A sign in California showing the distance to Wilmington, North Carolina, has been stolen several times.[7]

Arizona

 
I-40 westbound heading toward Flagstaff

I-40 is a main route to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, with the exits leading into Grand Canyon National Park in Williams and Flagstaff. I-40 covers 359 miles (578 km) in Arizona. Just west of exit 190, west of Flagstaff, is its highest elevation along I-40 in the US, as the road crosses just over 7,320 feet (2,230 m). I-40 also passes through the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the US. Like California's segment, the highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state.

New Mexico

I-40 covers 374 miles (602 km) in New Mexico. Notable cities along I-40 include Gallup, Grants, Albuquerque, Santa Rosa, and Tucumcari. I-40 also travels through several different Indian reservations in the western half of the state. It reaches its highest point in the state of 7,275 feet (2,217 m) at the Continental Divide in western New Mexico between Gallup and Grants.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are the five states where I-40 has a speed limit of 75 mph (121 km/h) instead of the 70 mph (110 km/h) limit in California, Tennessee, and North Carolina.[8][9]

Texas

 
An at-grade intersection on I-40 in Texas in 2003

In the west Texas panhandle area, there are several ranch roads connected directly to the Interstate. The only major city in Texas that is directly served by I-40 is Amarillo, which connects with I-27 that runs south toward Lubbock. I-40 also connects to US 287 that runs southeast to Dallas–Fort Worth and US 87/US 287 north to Dumas and then on into Oklahoma. I-40 has only one welcome center in the state, which is located in Amarillo at the exit for Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, serving both sides of the Interstate.

Oklahoma

I-40 goes through the heart of the state, passing through many Oklahoma cities and towns, including Erick, Sayre, Elk City, Clinton, Weatherford, El Reno, Yukon, Oklahoma City, Del City, Midwest City, Shawnee, Okemah, Henryetta, Checotah, Sallisaw, and Roland. I-40 covers 331 miles (533 km) in Oklahoma.

In Downtown Oklahoma City, I-40 was rerouted one mile (1.6 km) south of its former alignment and a 10-lane (five in each direction) facility replaced the former I-40 Crosstown Bridge; the former I-40 alignment will be replaced with an urban boulevard currently designated as Oklahoma City Boulevard.

Arkansas

 
The Hernando de Soto Bridge, where I-40 crosses the Mississippi River into Memphis

I-40 enters the west-central part of the state and runs for 285 miles (459 km) in Arkansas. The route passes through Van Buren, where it intersects the southbound I-540/US 71 to Fort Smith.[10] The route continues east to Alma to intersect I-49 north to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Running through the Ozark Mountains, I-40 serves Ozark, Clarksville, Russellville, Morrilton, and Conway. The route turns south after Conway and enters North Little Rock, which brings high volume interchanges with I-430, I-30/US 65/US 67/US 167, and I-440/Highway 440 (AR 440).[11] The Interstate continues east through Lonoke, Brinkley, and West Memphis on the eastside. I-40 briefly overlaps I-55 in West Memphis before it crosses the Mississippi River on the Hernando de Soto Bridge and enters Memphis, Tennessee.[12]

Tennessee

 
I-40 in Nashville

The State of Tennessee has the longest segment of I-40 at 455 miles (732 km). The Interstate goes through all of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee and its three largest cities: Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville. Jackson, Lebanon, Cookeville, Crossville, and Newport are other notable cities through which I-40 passes. Before leaving the state, I-40 enters the Great Smoky Mountains toward North Carolina.

The section of I-40 which runs between Memphis and Nashville is often referred to as the Music Highway.[13] During reconstruction, a short section of I-40 through downtown Knoxville near the central Malfunction Junction was completely closed to traffic from May 1, 2008, and not reopened until June 12, 2009, with all traffic redirected via I-640, the northern bypass route. The redesigned section now has additional lanes in each direction, is less congested, and has fewer accidents.[14][15]

North Carolina

 
Sign displaying distance to Barstow in Wilmington. This sign is no longer posted by NCDOT due to the frequency of its theft.[16]
 
Beginning of I-40 west, Wilmington

In North Carolina, I-40 travels 420 miles (680 km). It enters the state as a winding mountain freeway through the Great Smoky Mountains, which frequently closes due to landslides and weather conditions. It enters the state on a mostly north–south alignment, turning to a more east–west alignment upon merging with US 74 at the eastern terminus of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. From there, the highway passes through Asheville, Hickory, and Statesville before reaching the Piedmont Triad. Just east of the Triad City of Greensboro, North Carolina, it merges with I-85, and the two roads split again just west of the Research Triangle area, passing through Durham and Raleigh. From the Triangle to its eastern terminus in Wilmington, it once again takes a more north–south alignment.

A standard distance sign existed near the start of the westbound section of I-40 in Wilmington that indicated the distance to Barstow, California, as 2,554 miles (4,110 km). Although NCDOT stated[when?] it would not be replaced after frequent thefts, as of August 15, 2013, the sign was still present. However, between 2013 and 2020, the sign and base were removed, replaced by a sign proclaiming the stretch as the Michael Jordan Freeway.

History

Predecessors and planning

During the colonial and westward expansion eras, a number of Native American trails existed within the vicinity of what is now Interstate 40. In 1857, an expedition led by Edward Fitzgerald Beale was tasked with establishing a trade route along the 35th parallel north from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Los Angeles. This route, which became known as Beale's Wagon Road, was constructed by a team of about 100 men and 22 camels led by Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale. Completed in 1859, it is generally considered the first federal highway in the Southwestern United States.[17] In the early 20th century, a number of auto trails were established by private organizations to aid motorists in traveling between major cities. Among these was the National Old Trails Road, which roughly followed the western part of present-day I-40 to Albuquerque, and the Lee Highway, which followed much of the eastern portion of the route.[18] When the state governments established the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, two of these most important highways, US 66 and US 70 were established within the present-day I-40 corridor.[19] US 66, which followed the route from its western terminus to Oklahoma City, became arguably the most famous highway in the United States and has been recognized multiple times in popular culture.[20] US 70, which roughly follows the remainder of the Interstate, was also one of the most important highways for east−west travelers, and was considered part of the "Broadway of America" highway between California and New York.[21]

An east−west trans-continental freeway to serve the south-central United States was proposed in multiple plans throughout the 1930s and 1940s for what later became the Interstate Highway System.[22] The general alignment for the highway that became I-40 was included in a plan released on August 2, 1947, by the Public Roads Administration of the now-defunct Federal Works Agency.[23] The Interstate was officially authorized between Barstow and Greensboro by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which created the Interstate Highway System. The numbering was subsequently approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on August 14, 1957, along with most of the system.[2] That year, the California Department of Highways, the predecessor agency to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), proposed that the route be renumbered to I-30 instead because of the already existing US 40 in the state. This route was decommissioned in the state in 1964 as a part of a major revamping of California's overall highway numbering system.[24] The California state government also submitted State Route 58 (SR 58) between Barstow and Bakersfield for I-40 extension potential in 1956 and 1968, but both of these requests were rejected.[25]

From 1963 to 1966, the US government considered a plan, part of Project Plowshare, to use atomic bombs to excavate a path for I-40 through California. The project was canceled largely due to the cost of developing the explosives and due to the unavailability of a "clean bomb".[26]

Construction

The first sections of I-40 reused freeways that had been constructed prior to the Interstate Highway System or were under construction at the time of the authorization of the system. The first stretch in Tennessee reused a short freeway in Knoxville called the Magnolia Avenue Expressway, which was opened in two segments in 1952 and 1955. The first stretches in North Carolina were a short controlled-access sections of US 421 in Winston-Salem, and from Kernersville, constructed between 1955 and 1958. By 1957, most states had begun construction on the first sections of I-40. The stretch between Memphis and Nashville, completed on July 24, 1966, was the first major stretch of interstate highway completed in Tennessee.[27]

On June 30, 1972, the final stretch of I-40 entirely within Arkansas, located between Clarksville and Ozark was opened;[28] the last section to open in the state was the Hernando de Soto Bridge, which opened on August 2, 1973.[29][30] The last segment in California to be completed was a short stretch in Needles, opened on August 13, 1973.[31][32] The last original planned stretch of the highway in Tennessee, located east of Knoxville, was partially opened on December 20, 1974,[33] and fully opened on September 12, 1975.[34] The last section of I-40 in Oklahoma, a 17-mile (27 km) stretch near Erick near the western end of the state, opened on June 2, 1975.[35][36]

In 1971, the North Carolina State Highway Commission approved a plan to extend I-40 from Research Triangle Park to I-95, a distance of 41 miles (66 km), at a cost of $75 million (equivalent to $390.06 million in 2021[37]). Most of the highway would be four lanes, though six lanes were likely near Raleigh, where I-40 would extend the Beltline. Several routes were being considered, but, at the time, the most likely route would have ended north of Smithfield.[38] When the last portion of I-40, connecting Wilmington to Raleigh, was dedicated on June 29, 1990, CBS journalist Charles Kuralt stated:

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.[39][40]

Controversies

In Memphis, I-40 was originally planned to pass through the city's Overton Park, a 342-acre (138 ha) public park. Following a public announcement of the routing, a group of community activists opposed to the routing founded an organization called Citizens to Preserve Overton Park in 1957, and collected 10,000 signatures in their support.[41] After Secretary of Transportation John Volpe authorized the state to solicit bids for the construction of the interstate through the park in 1969, the organization filed a lawsuit, which culminated in the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe in 1971, which ruled that the state highway department had not adequately explored alternative routes for the interstate.[42] This case is considered to have established the modern process of judicial review of infrastructural projects, and eventually resulted in the state rerouting the alignment of I-40 through the park onto a section of I-240 in 1981.[43][44]

Major projects

Between May 1980 and March 1982, a major project was conducted on I-40 in Knoxville that widened the route, eliminated several interchanges, added frontage roads, and reconstructed the congestion-prone cloverleaf interchange with I-75, which had earned the nickname "Malfunction Junction", into a three-level stack interchange.[45][46] This was conducted as part of a larger $250 million (equivalent to $603 million in 2021[37]) road improvement project in the Knoxville area in preparation for the 1982 World's Fair.[47][48]

Originally, I-40 was constructed through downtown Winston-Salem, and it continued to follow that route until a new urban bypass route was built. After the bypass was completed around 1992, I-40 was relocated to the new freeway. The old highway was then redesignated as Interstate 40 Business (I-40 Bus.), establishing a business route that was actually an expressway for its entire length, a rarity among business routes. Following a reconstruction, the expressway was renamed Salem Parkway and redesignated as part of US 421.

The "Big I" interchange in Albuquerque between I-40 and I-25 was reconstructed between 2000 and 2002 in a project that eliminated left-hand entrance ramps and added lanes. This project was given an honorable mention by the United States Department of Transportation and the FHWA for excellence in urban highway design in 2002.[49]

The Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway was relocated and replaced with a new wider alignment in two phases between May 2002 and October 2012. The old alignment was replaced with Oklahoma City Boulevard, and at-grade thoroughfare.[50]

In Memphis, the cancellation of the Overton Park stretch of I-240, along with increased traffic volumes and safety hazards, rendered both interchanges with I-240 unable to effectively handle unplanned traffic patterns, thus necessitating their reconstruction. This was accomplished in three phases between January 2001 and December 2016.[51][52][53][54]

A $203.7 million two-phase project dubbed "SmartFix 40" resulted in a complete closure of a short stretch of I-40 through Knoxville between May 1, 2008, and June 12, 2009.[55] This was done in order to accelerate the construction timeline, and during this time, through traffic was required to use I-640.[56] Both phases of the project won an America's Transportation Award from AASHTO in 2008 and 2010, respectively.[57][58]

Geological difficulties

Landslides are common in the Pigeon River Gorge section along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Here, the roadway was cut into the slopes of several steep mountains. Accidents on the winding road are also common especially during bad weather. On October 25, 2009, I-40 was closed at the North Carolina and Tennessee border due to a landslide at milemarker 2.6 just east of the Tennessee state line. All traffic was detoured via I-26 and I-81, and non-heavy-load traffic via US 25 and US 70.[59] The roadway was reopened on April 25, 2010, with some remaining limitations on westbound traffic.[60]

Major incidents

 
The collapsed section of the I-40 bridge, May 31, 2002

On December 23, 1988, a tanker truck hauling liquefied propane overturned on a ramp in the interchange between I-40 and I-240 in the Midtown neighborhood of Memphis, rupturing a small hole in the front of the tank.[61][62] The leaking gas ignited in a massive fireball, and the tank was propelled 125 yards (114 m) from the crash site into a nearby duplex apartment.[63] The incident killed six motorists and three occupants of nearby structures, and provided momentum for the eventual reconstruction of the interchange.[64][54]

The I-40 bridge disaster occurred on May 26, 2002, when a barge collided with a bridge foundation member near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, causing a 580-foot (180 m) section of the I-40 bridge to plunge into the Arkansas River. Automobiles and semitrailers fell into the water, killing 14 people.

On May 11, 2021, the Hernando de Soto Bridge carrying I-40 over the Mississippi River was closed when inspectors discovered a crack on a tie girder.[65] A subsequent investigation revealed that the crack had existed since at least May 2019, and reports later surfaced that the crack had likely existed since August 2016.[66][67] An emergency contract to repair the beam was awarded six days after the closure,[68][69] and the bridge reopened on July 31, 2021, to eastbound traffic,[70] and to westbound traffic on August 2, 2021.[71]

Major junctions

California
  I-15 in Barstow
  US 95 west-northwest of Needles. The highways travel concurrently to Needles.
Arizona
   Future I-11 / US 93 in Kingman. The highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Kingman.
  I-17 in Flagstaff
   US 89 / US 180 in Flagstaff. I-40/US 180 travels concurrently to Holbrook.
  US 191 in Chambers. The highways travel concurrently to Sanders.
New Mexico
  US 491 in Gallup
   I-25 / US 85 in Albuquerque
  US 285 in Clines Corners
  US 84 west-northwest of Santa Rosa. The highways travel concurrently to Santa Rosa.
  US 54 in Santa Rosa. The highways travel concurrently to Tucumcari.
Texas
  US 385 in Vega
     I-27 / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 in Amarillo. I-40/US 287 travels concurrently through Amarillo.
  US 83 in Shamrock
Oklahoma
  US 283 in Sayre
  US 183 in Clinton
  US 281 in Hinton
  US 270 west of El Reno. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Shawnee.
  US 81 in El Reno
  I-44 in Oklahoma City
     I-35 / I-235 / US 62 / US 77 in Oklahoma City. I-35/I-40/US 62 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
  I-240 in Oklahoma City
   US 177 / US 270 northwest of Shawnee
  US 377 south-southeast of Prague
  US 62 in Okemah. The highways travel concurrently to Henryetta.
  US 75 northeast of Clearview. The highways travel concurrently to Henryetta.
  US 69 southwest of Checotah
  US 266 in Warner
  US 59 in Sallisaw
  US 64 in Sallisaw
  US 64 in Roland
Arkansas
   I-540 / US 71 in Van Buren. I-40/US 71 travels concurrently to Alma.
  I-49 in Alma
  US 64 in Clarksville
  US 64 in Lamar
  US 64 in London
  US 65 in Conway. The highways travel concurrently to North Little Rock.
  US 64 in Conway
  I-430 in North Little Rock
      I-30 / Future I-57 / US 65 / US 67 / US 167 in North Little Rock. I-40/US 67/US 167 travels concurrently through North Little Rock.
  I-440 in North Little Rock
  US 63 in Hazen. The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis.
  US 49 in Brinkley
  US 79 south of Jennette. The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis.
     I-55 / US 61 / US 63 / US 64 in West Memphis. I-40/I-55/US 61/US 64 travels concurrently through West Memphis.
Tennessee
  US 51 in Memphis
   I-69 / I-240 in Memphis. I-40/I-69 travels concurrently through Memphis.
    US 64 / US 70 / US 79 in Memphis
  US 64 on the Memphis–Bartlett city line
  I-269 in Arlington
  US 70 east of Brownsville
  US 412 in Jackson. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Jackson.
  US 45 in Jackson
   US 70 / US 412 northeast of Jackson
  US 641 southeast of Holladay
  I-840 southeast of Burns
  US 70S in Nashville
  US 70 in Nashville
  SR 155 in Nashville
  I-440 in Nashville
  I-65 in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
  US 70 in Nashville
    US 70 / US 70S / US 431 in Nashville
   US 31A / US 41A in Nashville
  I-24 in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
  I-840 in Lebanon
  US 231 in Lebanon
  US 70 in Lebanon
  SR 111 in Cookeville
  US 70N in Cookeville
  US 70N in Monterey
  US 127 in Crossville
  US 27 in Harriman
  US 321 in Lenoir City
  I-75 west of Farragut. The highways travel concurrently to Knoxville.
  I-140 in Knoxville
   US 11 / US 70 in Knoxville
   I-75 / I-640 in Knoxville
  US 129 in Knoxville
  I-275 in Knoxville
  US 441 in Knoxville
  US 11W in Knoxville
   I-640 / US 25W in Knoxville. I-40/US 25W travels concurrently through Knoxville.
    US 11E / US 25W / US 70 in Knoxville
   US 25W / US 70 west of Dandridge
  I-81 north-northeast of Dandridge
    US 25W / US 70 / US 411 in Newport
  US 321 in Newport
North Carolina
  US 276 in Cove Creek
  US 74 north-northwest of Clyde. The highways travel concurrently to Asheville.
   US 19 / US 23 in Asheville
    I-26 / I-240 / US 74 in Asheville
  US 25 in Asheville
  I-240 in Asheville
  US 70 in Black Mountain. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Old Fort.
  US 221 southeast of West Marion
  US 64 in Morganton
  US 321 in Hickory
  US 64 in Statesville
  US 21 in Statesville
  I-77 in Statesville
  US 64 in Statesville
  US 64 east-northeast of Statesville
  US 64 west-northwest of Mocksville
  US 601 in Mocksville
  US 421 in Winston-Salem
  US 158 in Winston-Salem
   US 52 / I-285 in Winston-Salem
  I-74 in Winston-Salem
  US 421 west of Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently to Greensboro.
    I-73 / US 421 / I-840 in Greensboro
  US 220 in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.
   US 29 / US 70 in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.
    I-85 / I-840 / I-785 in Greensboro. I-40/I-85 travels concurrently to southwest of Hillsborough.
   US 15 / US 501 in Durham
  I-885 in Durham
  I-540 in Durham
    I-440 / US 1 / US 64 in Raleigh. I-40/US 64 travels concurrently through Raleigh.
   US 70 / US 401 in Raleigh
    I-87 / I-440 / US 64 in Raleigh
  US 70 in Garner. The highways travel concurrently to west-southwest of Clayton.
   
   Future I-42 / US 70 near Clayton.
  I-95 in Benson
  US 701 south-southeast of Newton Grove
  US 117 south-southeast of Warsaw
  US 117 east-southeast of Willard
  I-140 in Murraysville
  US 117 on the Kings Grant–Murraysville CDP line

[72]

Auxiliary routes

In Oklahoma City, the designation I-440 had been given to a stretch of Interstate Highway from I-240 to US 66. It was a part of Grand Boulevard that had been built in compliance with Interstate Highway standards. In 1982, as part of Oklahoma's "Diamond Jubilee", I-44's western terminus was moved from the I-35/I-44 junction to the Texas–Oklahoma state line via the Belle Isle Freeway (connecting I-440 with I-35); I-440, the H. E. Bailey Turnpike; and the turnpike connector road on the eastern edge of Lawton, Oklahoma. The I-440 number was dropped at the time.

Business routes

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Starks, Edward (May 6, 2019). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2018". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b American Association of State Highway Officials (August 14, 1957). Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  3. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation. "Transportation Data Management System". ms2soft.com. MS2. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  4. ^ Tamara P. Haas (October 10, 2017). Traffic Counts New Mexico Interstates (PDF) (Report). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Texas Department of Transportation. "TPP District Traffic Web Viewer". ArcGIS. Esri. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "AADT Traffic Counts". ArcGIS. Esri. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good". StarNewsOnline.com. November 12, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "Speed limit on much of I-40, I-35 raised to 75 MPH".
  9. ^ "Speed limit on I-40 in the River Valley increases to 75 MPH". August 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Planning and Research Division (2011). (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  11. ^ Planning and Research Division (2009). (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  12. ^ Planning and Research Division (2009). (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  13. ^ Tennessee public acts 2001 Chapter 100, Senate Bill 916 House Bill 616 Signed into law April 18, 2001, http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/acts/102/pub/pc0100.pdf February 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation. . Tennessee Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010.
  15. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation. . Tennessee Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009.
  16. ^ Star News, Staff Reports. "I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good". Star News Online. Star News. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  17. ^ Weiser-Alexander, Kathy (2021). "Beale's Wagon Road From Arkansas to California". Legends of America. Retrieved January 15, 2023.[self-published source]
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  19. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  20. ^ "Route 66 Overview". National Park Service. June 27, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  21. ^ "Plan To Spend $8,000,000 On Route 1, Tennessee's Broadway of America". Johnson City Chronicle. August 18, 1928. p. 9. Retrieved February 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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  23. ^ Public Roads Administration (August 2, 1947). National System of Interstate Highways (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Public Roads Administration. Retrieved September 4, 2010 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  24. ^ "Interstate 40". California Highways. Retrieved November 27, 2011.[self-published source]
  25. ^ Waller, Jeff. . California Streets. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2006.[self-published source]
  26. ^ Wilshire, Howard (Spring 2001). (PDF). Desert Report. Sierra Club. pp. 9, 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009.
  27. ^ Veazey, Walter (July 25, 1966). "A Giant Of Progress Grows 195 Miles". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. 1. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Last Stretch Of I-40 Opens To Traffic Today". Northwest Arkansas Times. Fayetteville, Arkansas. Associated Press. June 30, 1972. p. 3. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Bridge Gets 'Ho-Hum' Opening". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. August 3, 1973. p. 1-1. Retrieved November 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Kofoed, Richard (August 5, 1973). "Span Rekindles Westward Ho". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. 2-2. Retrieved November 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Traffic Flows Over I-40; Plan Formal Rites For Opening". Needles Desert Star. August 16, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved January 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Interstate 40 Open". Hi-Desert Star. Yucca Valley, California. August 14, 1973. p. A11. Retrieved January 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Yarbrough, William (December 21, 1974). "All Interstates in ET Open; Dunn Dedicates New Sections". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. pp. 1, 14. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  34. ^ "I-40 Link Opening Near Knoxville". The Tennessean. Nashville. Associated Press. September 11, 1975. p. 11. ISSN 1053-6590. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  35. ^ "I-40 Unbroken in Oklahoma; Ceremony to Open Last Stretch Near Erick Monday". The Sunday Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. June 1, 1975. §1, p. 5. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Moments In History: June". Oklahoma Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved January 1, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  38. ^ "SHC Approves I-40 Link in Wake County". Concord Tribune. Associated Press. July 20, 1971.
  39. ^ Wilson, Amy (January 18, 2002). "U.S. Route 66: Historic Road Is Time Line of America". National Geographic News. Retrieved February 18, 2006.
  40. ^ (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. June 21, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  41. ^ McNichol, Dan (2006). The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. New York: Sterling Publishing. pp. 159–161. ISBN 9781402734687 – via Google Books.
  42. ^ Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402 (U.S. Supreme Court 1971).
  43. ^ McNichol, Dan (2006). The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. New York: Sterling Publishing. pp. 159–161. ISBN 9781402734687 – via Google Books.
  44. ^ Cunningham, Morris; Brosnan, James W. (January 17, 1981). "I-40 Funds Diverted, Park Route Canceled". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. 1, 3. Retrieved November 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Interstate Work Ahead of Schedule; 3 Contracts Signed". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. April 29, 1980. p. 21. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Junction Bottleneck Officially Broken". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. March 31, 1982. p. C-1. Retrieved November 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission; Barton-Aschman Associates; Knoxville International Energy Exposition; K-Trans (December 1982). 1982 World's Fair Transportation System Evaluation (Report). Office of Planning Assistance, Urban Mass Transportation Administration. DOT-I-83-4. Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via Google Books.
  48. ^ Hunt, Keel (2018). Crossing the Aisle: How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the Twenty-First Century and Could Save America. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. pp. 101–102, 117–129, 122. ISBN 978-0-8265-2241-2 – via Google Books.
  49. ^ "Excellence in Highway Design - 2002 I-25/I-40 System-to-System Interchange, Albuquerque, New Mexico". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  50. ^ "I-40 Crosstown Realignment". Oklahoma City: MacArthur Associated Consultants. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  51. ^ Adams, Tracy (June 26, 2003). "Honk if you like I-40 relief". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. A1. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ "TDOT sharpens listening skills". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. October 17, 2003. p. B4. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "I-40 / I-240 Interchange – Phase II". Dement Construction Company. 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  54. ^ a b Charlier, Tom (December 10, 2006). "Midtown I-40/240 Project Wraps Up; Dangerous curves led to deaths of 8 in 1988". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. B1, B7. Retrieved November 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ Brickey, Travis (June 12, 2009). (Press release). Tennessee Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009.
  56. ^ Jacobs, Don (April 13, 2008). "Downtown's 14-month I-40 shutdown will mean new routes, potential surprises". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  57. ^ "TN: SmartFix40". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  58. ^ "TN: SmartFIX40 Phase 2 Knoxville Project". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  59. ^ October 27, 2009 McLamb, Stephen. . WVLT-TV. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  60. ^ Hickman, Hayes (April 26, 2010). "Section of I-40 closed since Oct. rockslide reopens". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  61. ^ Charlier, Tom (December 24, 1988). "Fiery tanker crash kills 6; Cars, homes enveloped by inferno along I-240". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. A1, A5. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  62. ^ Beifuss, John (December 24, 1988). "Even witnesses seem scorched by fire's havoc". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. p. A4. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  63. ^ Isner, Michael S. (February 6, 1990). (Report). National Fire Protection Association. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  64. ^ "Death Toll at 9 in Memphis Tanker Explosion". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 25, 1988. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  65. ^ "I-40 bridge closed indefinitely after crack discovered in structure". Memphis: WMC-TV. May 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  66. ^ Chaney, Kim (May 14, 2021). "Yes, there was damage to the I-40 Hernando de Soto bridge at the time of 2019 inspection". Memphis: WATN-TV. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  67. ^ Peterson, Joyce (May 19, 2021). "Photos show I-40 bridge damage in 2016". Memphis: WMC-TV. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  68. ^ "Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge – Timeline". Tennessee Department of Transportation. May 17, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  69. ^ Duncan, Ian (June 3, 2021). "Repairs to cracked Mississippi River interstate bridge will stretch on for weeks". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  70. ^ Finton, Lucas (August 1, 2021). "The Hernando DeSoto Bridge reopens eastbound lanes, 2 days ahead of plans". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  71. ^ Burnside, Tina (August 2, 2021). "A vital Memphis bridge shut down since May due to a structural crack has fully reopened". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  72. ^ Rand McNally (2014). The Road Atlas (Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 8, 10–11, 15, 68, 74–75, 82–83, 94–95. ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2.

External links

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
  •   Geographic data related to Interstate 40 at OpenStreetMap
  • Interstate-Guide: I-40

interstate, redirects, here, royal, navy, ship, georgetown, major, east, west, transcontinental, interstate, highway, southeastern, southwestern, portions, united, states, length, miles, third, longest, interstate, highway, country, after, from, west, east, pa. I 40 redirects here For the Royal Navy ship see HMS Georgetown I 40 Interstate 40 I 40 is a major east west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States At a length of 2 556 61 miles 4 114 46 km it is the third longest Interstate Highway in the country after I 90 and I 80 From west to east it passes through California Arizona New Mexico Texas Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee and North Carolina Its western end is at I 15 in Barstow California while its eastern end is at a concurrency with U S Route 117 US 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 NC 132 in Wilmington North Carolina Major cities served by the interstate include Flagstaff Arizona Albuquerque New Mexico Amarillo Texas Oklahoma City Oklahoma Little Rock Arkansas Memphis Nashville and Knoxville in Tennessee and Asheville Winston Salem Greensboro Durham Raleigh and Wilmington in North Carolina Interstate 40Route informationLength2 556 61 mi 1 4 114 46 km ExistedAugust 14 1957 2 presentMajor junctionsWest endI 15 in Barstow CAMajor intersectionsI 17 in Flagstaff AZ I 25 in Albuquerque NM I 27 in Amarillo TX I 35 in Oklahoma City OK I 30 in North Little Rock AR I 55 in West Memphis AR I 65 in Nashville TN I 75 from Farragut to Knoxville TN I 85 from Greensboro to Hillsborough NC I 95 in Benson NCEast endUS 117 in Wilmington NCLocationCountryUnited StatesStatesCalifornia Arizona New Mexico Texas Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee North CarolinaHighway systemInterstate Highway SystemMain Auxiliary Suffixed Business FutureI 40 begins in the Mojave Desert in California and then proceeds through the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico It then traverses the Great Plains through the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma and passes south of the Ozarks in Arkansas The freeway crosses the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina before terminating in the Atlantic Coastal Plain near the Atlantic Ocean Much of the western part of I 40 from Barstow to Oklahoma City parallels or overlays the historic U S Route 66 East of Oklahoma City the route generally parallels US 64 and US 70 I 40 was established by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 and the numbering was subsequently approved on August 14 1957 along with most of the rest of the system The eastern terminus was initially planned to be located at I 85 in Greensboro but the Federal Highway Administration later approved extending the route to its current eastern terminus in Wilmington As a result this was the last segment of I 40 to be completed upon its dedication in 1990 Contents 1 Route description 1 1 California 1 2 Arizona 1 3 New Mexico 1 4 Texas 1 5 Oklahoma 1 6 Arkansas 1 7 Tennessee 1 8 North Carolina 2 History 2 1 Predecessors and planning 2 2 Construction 2 3 Controversies 2 4 Major projects 2 5 Geological difficulties 2 6 Major incidents 3 Major junctions 4 Auxiliary routes 4 1 Business routes 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksRoute description EditLengths mi 1 kmCA 154 61 248 82AZ 359 48 578 53NM 373 51 601 11TX 177 10 285 01OK 331 73 533 87AR 284 69 458 16TN 455 28 732 70NC 420 21 676 26Total 2 556 61 4 114 46I 40 is the third longest freeway in the United States spanning 2 556 61 miles 4 114 46 km across the southern half of the country The longest stretch of the highway is in Tennessee and the shortest is in California The busiest stretch of I 40 is in Knoxville concurrent with I 75 which has an annual average daily traffic volume of more than 210 000 vehicles 3 The lowest traffic volumes are found on rural stretches in New Mexico Texas and Oklahoma where the freeway carries fewer than 15 000 vehicles per day 4 5 6 California Edit A sign at the start of I 40 in Barstow California showing the distance to the freeway s eastern terminus in Wilmington North Carolina This sign has been stolen several times Main article Interstate 40 in California I 40 in California crosses through the lightly populated western part of the Inland Empire region of the state Its western end is in Barstow California Known as the Needles Freeway it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County to Needles before it crosses into Arizona southwest of Kingman I 40 covers 155 miles 249 km in California Some signs show the control city for I 40 westbound to be Los Angeles where drivers would follow I 15 south from its western terminus in Barstow The highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state A sign in California showing the distance to Wilmington North Carolina has been stolen several times 7 Arizona Edit I 40 westbound heading toward Flagstaff Main article Interstate 40 in Arizona I 40 is a main route to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with the exits leading into Grand Canyon National Park in Williams and Flagstaff I 40 covers 359 miles 578 km in Arizona Just west of exit 190 west of Flagstaff is its highest elevation along I 40 in the US as the road crosses just over 7 320 feet 2 230 m I 40 also passes through the Navajo Nation the largest Indian reservation in the US Like California s segment the highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state New Mexico Edit Main article Interstate 40 in New Mexico I 40 covers 374 miles 602 km in New Mexico Notable cities along I 40 include Gallup Grants Albuquerque Santa Rosa and Tucumcari I 40 also travels through several different Indian reservations in the western half of the state It reaches its highest point in the state of 7 275 feet 2 217 m at the Continental Divide in western New Mexico between Gallup and Grants Arizona New Mexico Texas Oklahoma and Arkansas are the five states where I 40 has a speed limit of 75 mph 121 km h instead of the 70 mph 110 km h limit in California Tennessee and North Carolina 8 9 Texas Edit An at grade intersection on I 40 in Texas in 2003 Main article Interstate 40 in Texas In the west Texas panhandle area there are several ranch roads connected directly to the Interstate The only major city in Texas that is directly served by I 40 is Amarillo which connects with I 27 that runs south toward Lubbock I 40 also connects to US 287 that runs southeast to Dallas Fort Worth and US 87 US 287 north to Dumas and then on into Oklahoma I 40 has only one welcome center in the state which is located in Amarillo at the exit for Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport serving both sides of the Interstate Oklahoma Edit Main article Interstate 40 in Oklahoma I 40 goes through the heart of the state passing through many Oklahoma cities and towns including Erick Sayre Elk City Clinton Weatherford El Reno Yukon Oklahoma City Del City Midwest City Shawnee Okemah Henryetta Checotah Sallisaw and Roland I 40 covers 331 miles 533 km in Oklahoma In Downtown Oklahoma City I 40 was rerouted one mile 1 6 km south of its former alignment and a 10 lane five in each direction facility replaced the former I 40 Crosstown Bridge the former I 40 alignment will be replaced with an urban boulevard currently designated as Oklahoma City Boulevard Arkansas Edit The Hernando de Soto Bridge where I 40 crosses the Mississippi River into Memphis Main article Interstate 40 in Arkansas I 40 enters the west central part of the state and runs for 285 miles 459 km in Arkansas The route passes through Van Buren where it intersects the southbound I 540 US 71 to Fort Smith 10 The route continues east to Alma to intersect I 49 north to Fayetteville Arkansas Running through the Ozark Mountains I 40 serves Ozark Clarksville Russellville Morrilton and Conway The route turns south after Conway and enters North Little Rock which brings high volume interchanges with I 430 I 30 US 65 US 67 US 167 and I 440 Highway 440 AR 440 11 The Interstate continues east through Lonoke Brinkley and West Memphis on the eastside I 40 briefly overlaps I 55 in West Memphis before it crosses the Mississippi River on the Hernando de Soto Bridge and enters Memphis Tennessee 12 Tennessee Edit Main article Interstate 40 in Tennessee I 40 in Nashville The State of Tennessee has the longest segment of I 40 at 455 miles 732 km The Interstate goes through all of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee and its three largest cities Memphis Nashville and Knoxville Jackson Lebanon Cookeville Crossville and Newport are other notable cities through which I 40 passes Before leaving the state I 40 enters the Great Smoky Mountains toward North Carolina The section of I 40 which runs between Memphis and Nashville is often referred to as the Music Highway 13 During reconstruction a short section of I 40 through downtown Knoxville near the central Malfunction Junction was completely closed to traffic from May 1 2008 and not reopened until June 12 2009 with all traffic redirected via I 640 the northern bypass route The redesigned section now has additional lanes in each direction is less congested and has fewer accidents 14 15 North Carolina Edit Sign displaying distance to Barstow in Wilmington This sign is no longer posted by NCDOT due to the frequency of its theft 16 Beginning of I 40 west Wilmington Main article Interstate 40 in North Carolina In North Carolina I 40 travels 420 miles 680 km It enters the state as a winding mountain freeway through the Great Smoky Mountains which frequently closes due to landslides and weather conditions It enters the state on a mostly north south alignment turning to a more east west alignment upon merging with US 74 at the eastern terminus of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway From there the highway passes through Asheville Hickory and Statesville before reaching the Piedmont Triad Just east of the Triad City of Greensboro North Carolina it merges with I 85 and the two roads split again just west of the Research Triangle area passing through Durham and Raleigh From the Triangle to its eastern terminus in Wilmington it once again takes a more north south alignment A standard distance sign existed near the start of the westbound section of I 40 in Wilmington that indicated the distance to Barstow California as 2 554 miles 4 110 km Although NCDOT stated when it would not be replaced after frequent thefts as of August 15 2013 the sign was still present However between 2013 and 2020 the sign and base were removed replaced by a sign proclaiming the stretch as the Michael Jordan Freeway History EditPredecessors and planning Edit A monument to Beale s Wagon Road in Kingman Arizona During the colonial and westward expansion eras a number of Native American trails existed within the vicinity of what is now Interstate 40 In 1857 an expedition led by Edward Fitzgerald Beale was tasked with establishing a trade route along the 35th parallel north from Fort Smith Arkansas to Los Angeles This route which became known as Beale s Wagon Road was constructed by a team of about 100 men and 22 camels led by Lt Edward Fitzgerald Beale Completed in 1859 it is generally considered the first federal highway in the Southwestern United States 17 In the early 20th century a number of auto trails were established by private organizations to aid motorists in traveling between major cities Among these was the National Old Trails Road which roughly followed the western part of present day I 40 to Albuquerque and the Lee Highway which followed much of the eastern portion of the route 18 When the state governments established the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926 two of these most important highways US 66 and US 70 were established within the present day I 40 corridor 19 US 66 which followed the route from its western terminus to Oklahoma City became arguably the most famous highway in the United States and has been recognized multiple times in popular culture 20 US 70 which roughly follows the remainder of the Interstate was also one of the most important highways for east west travelers and was considered part of the Broadway of America highway between California and New York 21 An east west trans continental freeway to serve the south central United States was proposed in multiple plans throughout the 1930s and 1940s for what later became the Interstate Highway System 22 The general alignment for the highway that became I 40 was included in a plan released on August 2 1947 by the Public Roads Administration of the now defunct Federal Works Agency 23 The Interstate was officially authorized between Barstow and Greensboro by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 which created the Interstate Highway System The numbering was subsequently approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials AASHO on August 14 1957 along with most of the system 2 That year the California Department of Highways the predecessor agency to the California Department of Transportation Caltrans proposed that the route be renumbered to I 30 instead because of the already existing US 40 in the state This route was decommissioned in the state in 1964 as a part of a major revamping of California s overall highway numbering system 24 The California state government also submitted State Route 58 SR 58 between Barstow and Bakersfield for I 40 extension potential in 1956 and 1968 but both of these requests were rejected 25 From 1963 to 1966 the US government considered a plan part of Project Plowshare to use atomic bombs to excavate a path for I 40 through California The project was canceled largely due to the cost of developing the explosives and due to the unavailability of a clean bomb 26 Construction Edit The first sections of I 40 reused freeways that had been constructed prior to the Interstate Highway System or were under construction at the time of the authorization of the system The first stretch in Tennessee reused a short freeway in Knoxville called the Magnolia Avenue Expressway which was opened in two segments in 1952 and 1955 The first stretches in North Carolina were a short controlled access sections of US 421 in Winston Salem and from Kernersville constructed between 1955 and 1958 By 1957 most states had begun construction on the first sections of I 40 The stretch between Memphis and Nashville completed on July 24 1966 was the first major stretch of interstate highway completed in Tennessee 27 On June 30 1972 the final stretch of I 40 entirely within Arkansas located between Clarksville and Ozark was opened 28 the last section to open in the state was the Hernando de Soto Bridge which opened on August 2 1973 29 30 The last segment in California to be completed was a short stretch in Needles opened on August 13 1973 31 32 The last original planned stretch of the highway in Tennessee located east of Knoxville was partially opened on December 20 1974 33 and fully opened on September 12 1975 34 The last section of I 40 in Oklahoma a 17 mile 27 km stretch near Erick near the western end of the state opened on June 2 1975 35 36 In 1971 the North Carolina State Highway Commission approved a plan to extend I 40 from Research Triangle Park to I 95 a distance of 41 miles 66 km at a cost of 75 million equivalent to 390 06 million in 2021 37 Most of the highway would be four lanes though six lanes were likely near Raleigh where I 40 would extend the Beltline Several routes were being considered but at the time the most likely route would have ended north of Smithfield 38 When the last portion of I 40 connecting Wilmington to Raleigh was dedicated on June 29 1990 CBS journalist Charles Kuralt stated Thanks to the Interstate Highway System it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything 39 40 Controversies Edit In Memphis I 40 was originally planned to pass through the city s Overton Park a 342 acre 138 ha public park Following a public announcement of the routing a group of community activists opposed to the routing founded an organization called Citizens to Preserve Overton Park in 1957 and collected 10 000 signatures in their support 41 After Secretary of Transportation John Volpe authorized the state to solicit bids for the construction of the interstate through the park in 1969 the organization filed a lawsuit which culminated in the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v Volpe in 1971 which ruled that the state highway department had not adequately explored alternative routes for the interstate 42 This case is considered to have established the modern process of judicial review of infrastructural projects and eventually resulted in the state rerouting the alignment of I 40 through the park onto a section of I 240 in 1981 43 44 Major projects Edit Between May 1980 and March 1982 a major project was conducted on I 40 in Knoxville that widened the route eliminated several interchanges added frontage roads and reconstructed the congestion prone cloverleaf interchange with I 75 which had earned the nickname Malfunction Junction into a three level stack interchange 45 46 This was conducted as part of a larger 250 million equivalent to 603 million in 2021 37 road improvement project in the Knoxville area in preparation for the 1982 World s Fair 47 48 Originally I 40 was constructed through downtown Winston Salem and it continued to follow that route until a new urban bypass route was built After the bypass was completed around 1992 I 40 was relocated to the new freeway The old highway was then redesignated as Interstate 40 Business I 40 Bus establishing a business route that was actually an expressway for its entire length a rarity among business routes Following a reconstruction the expressway was renamed Salem Parkway and redesignated as part of US 421 The Big I interchange in Albuquerque between I 40 and I 25 was reconstructed between 2000 and 2002 in a project that eliminated left hand entrance ramps and added lanes This project was given an honorable mention by the United States Department of Transportation and the FHWA for excellence in urban highway design in 2002 49 The Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway was relocated and replaced with a new wider alignment in two phases between May 2002 and October 2012 The old alignment was replaced with Oklahoma City Boulevard and at grade thoroughfare 50 In Memphis the cancellation of the Overton Park stretch of I 240 along with increased traffic volumes and safety hazards rendered both interchanges with I 240 unable to effectively handle unplanned traffic patterns thus necessitating their reconstruction This was accomplished in three phases between January 2001 and December 2016 51 52 53 54 A 203 7 million two phase project dubbed SmartFix 40 resulted in a complete closure of a short stretch of I 40 through Knoxville between May 1 2008 and June 12 2009 55 This was done in order to accelerate the construction timeline and during this time through traffic was required to use I 640 56 Both phases of the project won an America s Transportation Award from AASHTO in 2008 and 2010 respectively 57 58 Geological difficulties Edit Landslides are common in the Pigeon River Gorge section along the Tennessee and North Carolina border Here the roadway was cut into the slopes of several steep mountains Accidents on the winding road are also common especially during bad weather On October 25 2009 I 40 was closed at the North Carolina and Tennessee border due to a landslide at milemarker 2 6 just east of the Tennessee state line All traffic was detoured via I 26 and I 81 and non heavy load traffic via US 25 and US 70 59 The roadway was reopened on April 25 2010 with some remaining limitations on westbound traffic 60 Major incidents Edit The collapsed section of the I 40 bridge May 31 2002 On December 23 1988 a tanker truck hauling liquefied propane overturned on a ramp in the interchange between I 40 and I 240 in the Midtown neighborhood of Memphis rupturing a small hole in the front of the tank 61 62 The leaking gas ignited in a massive fireball and the tank was propelled 125 yards 114 m from the crash site into a nearby duplex apartment 63 The incident killed six motorists and three occupants of nearby structures and provided momentum for the eventual reconstruction of the interchange 64 54 The I 40 bridge disaster occurred on May 26 2002 when a barge collided with a bridge foundation member near Webbers Falls Oklahoma causing a 580 foot 180 m section of the I 40 bridge to plunge into the Arkansas River Automobiles and semitrailers fell into the water killing 14 people On May 11 2021 the Hernando de Soto Bridge carrying I 40 over the Mississippi River was closed when inspectors discovered a crack on a tie girder 65 A subsequent investigation revealed that the crack had existed since at least May 2019 and reports later surfaced that the crack had likely existed since August 2016 66 67 An emergency contract to repair the beam was awarded six days after the closure 68 69 and the bridge reopened on July 31 2021 to eastbound traffic 70 and to westbound traffic on August 2 2021 71 Major junctions EditCalifornia I 15 in Barstow US 95 west northwest of Needles The highways travel concurrently to Needles Arizona Future I 11 US 93 in Kingman The highways travel concurrently to east northeast of Kingman I 17 in Flagstaff US 89 US 180 in Flagstaff I 40 US 180 travels concurrently to Holbrook US 191 in Chambers The highways travel concurrently to Sanders New Mexico US 491 in Gallup I 25 US 85 in Albuquerque US 285 in Clines Corners US 84 west northwest of Santa Rosa The highways travel concurrently to Santa Rosa US 54 in Santa Rosa The highways travel concurrently to Tucumcari Texas US 385 in Vega I 27 US 60 US 87 US 287 in Amarillo I 40 US 287 travels concurrently through Amarillo US 83 in Shamrock Oklahoma US 283 in Sayre US 183 in Clinton US 281 in Hinton US 270 west of El Reno The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Shawnee US 81 in El Reno I 44 in Oklahoma City I 35 I 235 US 62 US 77 in Oklahoma City I 35 I 40 US 62 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City I 240 in Oklahoma City US 177 US 270 northwest of Shawnee US 377 south southeast of Prague US 62 in Okemah The highways travel concurrently to Henryetta US 75 northeast of Clearview The highways travel concurrently to Henryetta US 69 southwest of Checotah US 266 in Warner US 59 in Sallisaw US 64 in Sallisaw US 64 in Roland Arkansas I 540 US 71 in Van Buren I 40 US 71 travels concurrently to Alma I 49 in Alma US 64 in Clarksville US 64 in Lamar US 64 in London US 65 in Conway The highways travel concurrently to North Little Rock US 64 in Conway I 430 in North Little Rock I 30 Future I 57 US 65 US 67 US 167 in North Little Rock I 40 US 67 US 167 travels concurrently through North Little Rock I 440 in North Little Rock US 63 in Hazen The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis US 49 in Brinkley US 79 south of Jennette The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis I 55 US 61 US 63 US 64 in West Memphis I 40 I 55 US 61 US 64 travels concurrently through West Memphis Tennessee US 51 in Memphis I 69 I 240 in Memphis I 40 I 69 travels concurrently through Memphis US 64 US 70 US 79 in Memphis US 64 on the Memphis Bartlett city line I 269 in Arlington US 70 east of Brownsville US 412 in Jackson The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Jackson US 45 in Jackson US 70 US 412 northeast of Jackson US 641 southeast of Holladay I 840 southeast of Burns US 70S in Nashville US 70 in Nashville SR 155 in Nashville I 440 in Nashville I 65 in Nashville The highways travel concurrently through Nashville US 70 in Nashville US 70 US 70S US 431 in Nashville US 31A US 41A in Nashville I 24 in Nashville The highways travel concurrently through Nashville I 840 in Lebanon US 231 in Lebanon US 70 in Lebanon SR 111 in Cookeville US 70N in Cookeville US 70N in Monterey US 127 in Crossville US 27 in Harriman US 321 in Lenoir City I 75 west of Farragut The highways travel concurrently to Knoxville I 140 in Knoxville US 11 US 70 in Knoxville I 75 I 640 in Knoxville US 129 in Knoxville I 275 in Knoxville US 441 in Knoxville US 11W in Knoxville I 640 US 25W in Knoxville I 40 US 25W travels concurrently through Knoxville US 11E US 25W US 70 in Knoxville US 25W US 70 west of Dandridge I 81 north northeast of Dandridge US 25W US 70 US 411 in Newport US 321 in Newport North Carolina US 276 in Cove Creek US 74 north northwest of Clyde The highways travel concurrently to Asheville US 19 US 23 in Asheville I 26 I 240 US 74 in Asheville US 25 in Asheville I 240 in Asheville US 70 in Black Mountain The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Old Fort US 221 southeast of West Marion US 64 in Morganton US 321 in Hickory US 64 in Statesville US 21 in Statesville I 77 in Statesville US 64 in Statesville US 64 east northeast of Statesville US 64 west northwest of Mocksville US 601 in Mocksville US 421 in Winston Salem US 158 in Winston Salem US 52 I 285 in Winston Salem I 74 in Winston Salem US 421 west of Greensboro The highways travel concurrently to Greensboro I 73 US 421 I 840 in Greensboro US 220 in Greensboro The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro US 29 US 70 in Greensboro The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro I 85 I 840 I 785 in Greensboro I 40 I 85 travels concurrently to southwest of Hillsborough US 15 US 501 in Durham I 885 in Durham I 540 in Durham I 440 US 1 US 64 in Raleigh I 40 US 64 travels concurrently through Raleigh US 70 US 401 in Raleigh I 87 I 440 US 64 in Raleigh US 70 in Garner The highways travel concurrently to west southwest of Clayton Future I 42 US 70 near Clayton I 95 in Benson US 701 south southeast of Newton Grove US 117 south southeast of Warsaw US 117 east southeast of Willard I 140 in Murraysville US 117 on the Kings Grant Murraysville CDP line 72 Auxiliary routes EditI 140 Alcoa Knoxville Oak Ridge area I 140 Wilmington North Carolina I 240 Oklahoma City Oklahoma I 240 Memphis Tennessee I 240 Asheville North Carolina I 440 Little Rock Arkansas I 440 Nashville Tennessee I 440 Raleigh North Carolina I 540 spur to Fort Smith Arkansas I 540 Raleigh North Carolina I 640 Knoxville Tennessee I 840 partial beltway around Nashville Tennessee I 840 Greensboro North CarolinaIn Oklahoma City the designation I 440 had been given to a stretch of Interstate Highway from I 240 to US 66 It was a part of Grand Boulevard that had been built in compliance with Interstate Highway standards In 1982 as part of Oklahoma s Diamond Jubilee I 44 s western terminus was moved from the I 35 I 44 junction to the Texas Oklahoma state line via the Belle Isle Freeway connecting I 440 with I 35 I 440 the H E Bailey Turnpike and the turnpike connector road on the eastern edge of Lawton Oklahoma The I 440 number was dropped at the time Business routes Edit See also Business routes of Interstate 40 Interstate 40 Business in California Needles Interstate 40 Business in Arizona spur to Winslow loops through Winslow Flagstaff Williams Ash Fork Seligman and Kingman Interstate 40 Business in New Mexico Tucumcari Santa Rosa Albuquerque Grants Mount Taylor and Gallup Interstate 40 Business in Texas Shamrock McLean Groom Amarillo Vega Adrian Texas and Glenrio New Mexico and Texas Interstate 40 Business in Oklahoma Sallisaw Henryetta El Reno Weatherford Clinton Elk City Sayre and Erick Oklahoma Interstate 40 Business in North Carolina Winston Salem and formerly in Greensboro now Salem Parkway Raleigh now I 440See also Edit U S Roads portalReferences Edit a b Starks Edward May 6 2019 Table 1 Main Routes of the Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31 2018 Federal Highway Administration Retrieved October 22 2021 a b American Association of State Highway Officials August 14 1957 Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways Map Scale not given Washington DC American Association of State Highway Officials Retrieved March 27 2017 via Wikimedia Commons Tennessee Department of Transportation Transportation Data Management System ms2soft com MS2 Retrieved November 27 2021 Tamara P Haas October 10 2017 Traffic Counts New Mexico Interstates PDF Report New Mexico Department of Transportation Retrieved January 7 2023 Texas Department of Transportation TPP District Traffic Web Viewer ArcGIS Esri Retrieved January 7 2023 Oklahoma Department of Transportation AADT Traffic Counts ArcGIS Esri Retrieved January 7 2023 I 40 Barstow Calif sign gone for good StarNewsOnline com November 12 2009 Retrieved October 20 2020 Speed limit on much of I 40 I 35 raised to 75 MPH Speed limit on I 40 in the River Valley increases to 75 MPH August 6 2020 Planning and Research Division 2011 General Highway Map Crawford County Arkansas PDF Map 1 62 500 Little Rock Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Archived from the original PDF on February 26 2012 Retrieved November 15 2011 Planning and Research Division 2009 General Highway Map Pulaski County Arkansas PDF Map 1 62 500 Little Rock Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Archived from the original PDF on July 7 2011 Retrieved November 15 2011 Planning and Research Division 2009 General Highway Map Crittenden County Arkansas PDF Map 1 62 500 Little Rock Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Archived from the original PDF on February 26 2012 Retrieved November 15 2011 Tennessee public acts 2001 Chapter 100 Senate Bill 916 House Bill 616 Signed into law April 18 2001 http www tennessee gov sos acts 102 pub pc0100 pdf Archived February 10 2009 at the Wayback Machine Tennessee Department of Transportation SmartFix I 40 James White Parkway Hall of Fame Drive Tennessee Department of Transportation Archived from the original on December 31 2010 Tennessee Department of Transportation SmartFix I 40 James White Parkway Hall of Fame Drive Tennessee Department of Transportation Archived from the original on April 29 2009 Star News Staff Reports I 40 Barstow Calif sign gone for good Star News Online Star News Retrieved October 15 2020 Weiser Alexander Kathy 2021 Beale s Wagon Road From Arkansas to California Legends of America Retrieved January 15 2023 self published source Rand McNally 1926 Auto Road Atlas Map Chicago Rand McNally Archived from the original on April 27 2012 Retrieved April 15 2012 via Broer Maps Online Weingroff Richard F From Names to Numbers The Origins of the U S Numbered Highway System Highway History Federal Highway Administration Archived from the original on September 1 2019 Retrieved December 9 2021 Route 66 Overview National Park Service June 27 2022 Retrieved January 15 2023 Plan To Spend 8 000 000 On Route 1 Tennessee s Broadway of America Johnson City Chronicle August 18 1928 p 9 Retrieved February 10 2021 via Newspapers com Pfeiffer David A Summer 2006 Ike s Interstates at 50 Prologue pp 14 18 ISSN 0033 1031 Archived from the original on March 2 2011 Retrieved April 11 2022 Public Roads Administration August 2 1947 National System of Interstate Highways Map Scale not given Washington DC Public Roads Administration Retrieved September 4 2010 via Wikimedia Commons Interstate 40 California Highways Retrieved November 27 2011 self published source Waller Jeff Interstate 40 Extension and Bakersfield Freeway Network California Streets Archived from the original on April 26 2012 Retrieved February 18 2006 self published source Wilshire Howard Spring 2001 Building a Radioactive Highway PDF Desert Report Sierra Club pp 9 14 Archived from the original PDF on March 26 2009 Veazey Walter July 25 1966 A Giant Of Progress Grows 195 Miles The Commercial Appeal Memphis p 1 Retrieved December 10 2021 via Newspapers com Last Stretch Of I 40 Opens To Traffic Today Northwest Arkansas Times Fayetteville Arkansas Associated Press June 30 1972 p 3 Retrieved January 15 2023 via Newspapers com Bridge Gets Ho Hum Opening The Commercial Appeal Memphis August 3 1973 p 1 1 Retrieved November 5 2021 via Newspapers com Kofoed Richard August 5 1973 Span Rekindles Westward Ho The Commercial Appeal Memphis p 2 2 Retrieved November 5 2021 via Newspapers com Traffic Flows Over I 40 Plan Formal Rites For Opening Needles Desert Star August 16 1973 p 1 Retrieved January 16 2023 via Newspapers com Interstate 40 Open Hi Desert Star Yucca Valley California August 14 1973 p A11 Retrieved January 16 2023 via Newspapers com Yarbrough William December 21 1974 All Interstates in ET Open Dunn Dedicates New Sections The Knoxville News Sentinel pp 1 14 Retrieved December 30 2021 I 40 Link Opening Near Knoxville The Tennessean Nashville Associated Press September 11 1975 p 11 ISSN 1053 6590 Retrieved April 18 2019 I 40 Unbroken in Oklahoma Ceremony to Open Last Stretch Near Erick Monday The Sunday Oklahoman Oklahoma City June 1 1975 1 p 5 Retrieved January 15 2023 via Newspapers com Moments In History June Oklahoma Department of Transportation 2011 Retrieved January 15 2023 a b Johnston Louis Williamson Samuel H 2023 What Was the U S GDP Then MeasuringWorth Retrieved January 1 2023 United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series SHC Approves I 40 Link in Wake County Concord Tribune Associated Press July 20 1971 Wilson Amy January 18 2002 U S Route 66 Historic Road Is Time Line of America National Geographic News Retrieved February 18 2006 I 40 Fact Sheet PDF North Carolina Department of Transportation June 21 2008 Archived from the original PDF on June 21 2008 Retrieved June 20 2014 McNichol Dan 2006 The Roads that Built America The Incredible Story of the U S Interstate System New York Sterling Publishing pp 159 161 ISBN 9781402734687 via Google Books Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v Volpe 401 U S 402 U S Supreme Court 1971 McNichol Dan 2006 The Roads that Built America The Incredible Story of the U S Interstate System New York Sterling Publishing pp 159 161 ISBN 9781402734687 via Google Books Cunningham Morris Brosnan James W January 17 1981 I 40 Funds Diverted Park Route Canceled The Commercial Appeal Memphis p 1 3 Retrieved November 8 2021 via Newspapers com Interstate Work Ahead of Schedule 3 Contracts Signed The Knoxville News Sentinel April 29 1980 p 21 Retrieved December 30 2021 via Newspapers com Junction Bottleneck Officially Broken The Knoxville News Sentinel March 31 1982 p C 1 Retrieved November 19 2021 via Newspapers com Knoxville Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission Barton Aschman Associates Knoxville International Energy Exposition K Trans December 1982 1982 World s Fair Transportation System Evaluation Report Office of Planning Assistance Urban Mass Transportation Administration DOT I 83 4 Retrieved June 6 2020 via Google Books Hunt Keel 2018 Crossing the Aisle How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the Twenty First Century and Could Save America Nashville Vanderbilt University Press pp 101 102 117 129 122 ISBN 978 0 8265 2241 2 via Google Books Excellence in Highway Design 2002 I 25 I 40 System to System Interchange Albuquerque New Mexico Federal Highway Administration Retrieved November 27 2011 I 40 Crosstown Realignment Oklahoma City MacArthur Associated Consultants Retrieved May 7 2022 Adams Tracy June 26 2003 Honk if you like I 40 relief The Commercial Appeal Memphis p A1 Retrieved January 30 2022 via Newspapers com TDOT sharpens listening skills The Commercial Appeal Memphis October 17 2003 p B4 Retrieved January 30 2022 via Newspapers com I 40 I 240 Interchange Phase II Dement Construction Company 2016 Retrieved February 16 2020 a b Charlier Tom December 10 2006 Midtown I 40 240 Project Wraps Up Dangerous curves led to deaths of 8 in 1988 The Commercial Appeal Memphis p B1 B7 Retrieved November 26 2021 via Newspapers com Brickey Travis June 12 2009 Interstate 40 Reopens In Knoxville 18 days ahead of schedule Press release Tennessee Department of Transportation Archived from the original on June 15 2009 Jacobs Don April 13 2008 Downtown s 14 month I 40 shutdown will mean new routes potential surprises The Knoxville News Sentinel Retrieved January 31 2021 TN SmartFix40 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2008 Retrieved January 31 2021 TN SmartFIX40 Phase 2 Knoxville Project American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2010 Retrieved January 31 2021 October 27 2009 McLamb Stephen HWY 25 70 a scenic tough rock slide detour WVLT TV Archived from the original on February 15 2010 Retrieved November 27 2011 Hickman Hayes April 26 2010 Section of I 40 closed since Oct rockslide reopens Knoxville News Sentinel Retrieved April 26 2010 Charlier Tom December 24 1988 Fiery tanker crash kills 6 Cars homes enveloped by inferno along I 240 The Commercial Appeal Memphis p A1 A5 Retrieved December 5 2021 via Newspapers com Beifuss John December 24 1988 Even witnesses seem scorched by fire s havoc The Commercial Appeal Memphis p A4 Retrieved December 5 2021 via Newspapers com Isner Michael S February 6 1990 Fire Investigation Report Propane Tank Truck Incident Eight People Killed Memphis Tennessee December 23 1988 Report National Fire Protection Association Archived from the original on January 28 2021 Retrieved January 18 2021 Death Toll at 9 in Memphis Tanker Explosion The New York Times Associated Press December 25 1988 Retrieved January 12 2021 I 40 bridge closed indefinitely after crack discovered in structure Memphis WMC TV May 11 2021 Retrieved June 11 2021 Chaney Kim May 14 2021 Yes there was damage to the I 40 Hernando de Soto bridge at the time of 2019 inspection Memphis WATN TV Retrieved June 11 2021 Peterson Joyce May 19 2021 Photos show I 40 bridge damage in 2016 Memphis WMC TV Retrieved June 11 2021 Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge Timeline Tennessee Department of Transportation May 17 2021 Retrieved June 11 2021 Duncan Ian June 3 2021 Repairs to cracked Mississippi River interstate bridge will stretch on for weeks The Washington Post Retrieved June 11 2021 Finton Lucas August 1 2021 The Hernando DeSoto Bridge reopens eastbound lanes 2 days ahead of plans The Commercial Appeal Memphis Retrieved August 1 2021 Burnside Tina August 2 2021 A vital Memphis bridge shut down since May due to a structural crack has fully reopened CNN Retrieved August 3 2021 Rand McNally 2014 The Road Atlas Walmart ed Chicago Rand McNally pp 8 10 11 15 68 74 75 82 83 94 95 ISBN 978 0 528 00771 2 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 40 Route map KML file edit help Template Attached KML Interstate 40KML is from Wikidata Geographic data related to Interstate 40 at OpenStreetMap Interstate Guide I 40 The Beale Wagon Road The I 40 Bridge Disaster Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Interstate 40 amp oldid 1151420139, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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